My internet has been quite screwy lately, which made me postpone blogging time, but now it’s all dandy and I actually have some time for myself to rest and recover from a little bit of everything. It’s not going to last long since I still have midterms, orals and a lot of org work to accomplish during the next few weeks. At this point, I might as well share a few happy happenings recently as I just turned twenty-one last Wednesday. :)

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First Friday in months that I actually got home pretty early with nothing planned except to simply make the most out of my glorified idle time. A few hours into it and I already miss the rush of a Friday show. And after stumbling upon my friend, Toff’s column in Philippine Star (July 25, 2008) about our show, the melancholic feelings start flowing in and I can’t help but feel all too sentimental about it.

Three weekends, fifteen shows after, I’m still pretty thrilled and proud of myself, the cast and the...

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The first set of shows for Summer of 42 this weekend is done. It has been quite thrilling and exhausting at the same time. And since it has been awhile since I last did any production, I missed the exciting rush of doing a show.

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This is just one of the things that have kept me really busy for the past month or so. See me sing, dance and play the eccentric Gloria, 40s style! And after quite a long hiatus from being on stage, I’m finally doing a production with BlueREP! Oh the joy of working with the cast and crew…

blueREPERTORY

Summer of ’42

Story and Book by Hunter Foster Music & Lyrics by David Kirshenbaum Based on the novel & screenplay by Herman Raucher

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I usually try to blog about my first few days of school. I meant to write during my first day. But because I end up arriving home at 11PM everyday, pretty much all tired and worn out, I just usually just sleep.

It is a first week unlike no other. It feels like the week is just an extension of the busy summer I had, only with added academic units. I’m pretty thrilled with my academic workload. I’ve also met all my teachers already, and I’m pretty pleased with my decision to take those classes. I’ve already had two of...

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The usual buzz and hype brought about by the start of school is nowhere to be found, and has been replaced by the immediate scheduling of all my other work. Amazing how I seemed to express that so loosely. It seems as if I have to juggle rehearsals, Aegis work, COA meetings and the occasional PolSci concerns everyday recently. Even before rehearsals started, I was already occupied with Congress work and really late COA meetings afterwards.

That generally sums up most of my summer. And if not for the first 3 weeks of Singapore, Formsem and...

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I just came from BlueREP pictorials. Yes. After two years of theatre hiatus, I finally auditioned for a BlueREP production. I’ve thought about it a lot before trying out, and even went out of my way to ask my parents for permission. I did that because if ever I do get in, I will have to devote school nights of June for rehearsals. It can be pretty tough for someone who lives in Makati like I do. Fortunately after my amazing persuading skills, they both finally agreed to it. It is my last year after all. Before I lock myself...

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I never realized that I would have accomplished and experienced so much even after only 2 days of OJT in the House of Representatives. I’ve managed to help finalize a draft for a specific bill, review past bills and the Tax Reform Act of 1997, write a few paragraphs as part of the explanatory note of that bill, learn how to file it, learn how to search archives, and attend my first session. Of course that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The best part about representing a congressman is attending the workshop conference on Political Parties earlier. I’d...

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For the past three summers, I’ve been going back to visit my province in Camiguin with my family and even with friends. Of course, most of my summers as a child growing up were spent with my grandparents and relatives over there as well. So it’s safe to say that Camiguin has always felt like home. It’s a far cry from the place I grew up here in Makati. And though I still believe that it would be incredibly different to part ways with the city lifestyle, I occasionally crave for that form of escapism that only the provincial...

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My three-day formation seminar hosted by OSA with those who comprise COA or the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo was yet again another very high point of my most eventful summer yet. I honestly don’t know how to begin, seeing as the attempt to look back at what has transpired during those three days is all too overwhelming. And the fact that I’m leaving for Camiguin in around 4 hours is also not helping. I mean I’m quite exhausted from the very eventful formsem, as well as the 2am sleeping time for the previous 2 nights. But...

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I’d like to take comfort in the fact that I just finished one seemingly psychotic week. Perhaps that is somewhat of an overstatement. But allow me the liberty to make that exaggeration, especially after just enduring one of the most extremely trying weeks of my Ateneo academic life. I’ve technically got less that two weeks left before I end my junior year. Unfortunately, I really don’t have anything to rejoice about until the very last day. It will end when it ends. For the mean time, I gotta make the most out of it. More importantly, I gotta do well....

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I am reeling. Reeling from one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen.

I’m not really hard to please when it comes to movies, because I usually try to find something positive about it. But this time, I’m just going to rave incessantly about how much I enjoyed my pre-Valentine’s Day movie. (Actually, I just said that for the sole reason that I just watched it now, a day before Valentine’s Day. And no, it’s not some sort of date, as I happily watched it alone before I finally start with my Philo102 long test.)

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Just came back from Fr. Dacanay’s whole day seminar/plenary on Marriage as part of our Theo131 requirement. He hosts one and requires all his students to attend every semester. And I’m pretty sure than one sem after another, there will always be raves and positive comments about it.

Coming into Ateneo my freshman year and getting a hold of my 4-year curriculum, I was initially quite surprised by all the CORE subjects I had to take. More importantly, 4 Theology subjects and 4 Philosophy subjects as required courses were something that I wasn’t looking forward to, especially since my...

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I reckon I should probably be studying the assigned readings for the week by this time. But Sunday mornings are usually devoted to blogging, so I shall put studying in hiatus for awhile. A blow-by-blow account of the most academically intense week yet for this second semester could make up for neglecting my blog. However, I really feel quite all over the place, and cohesive thoughts are just not possible right now. Then again, I shall try.

Supposedly, midterms week is over. I had my Theo orals with Fr. Dacanay last Monday, my POS131 (International Political Economy) midterms last Tuesday...

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My first week of school for 2008 has been so exhausting. I have been sleeping past 12 everyday and waking up at around 5ish, which technically means a total of a little more than 24 hours of sleep for 5 freaking school days. That’s definitely a record in itself.

A year ago, I would’ve been shocked to know that I could be capable of depriving myself the beauty sleep for 5 consecutive days due to all these scholastic endeavors. My Political Science majors are all holding me captive, pressuring me to read and finish more readings that I ever had...

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The year 2007 has been such a defining year for me. Perhaps even that is an understatement considering everything that has happened. There are no regrets whatsoever, only memories, realizations and lessons to live by.

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Sunday mornings are usually devoted to a bit of contemplation and reflection about the passing week. That has always been some kind of a ritual, allowing me some kind of comfort and refuge to handle the week ahead.

The past three weeks have been academically trying. Late-nights with around less than 4 hours of sleep every day are all very normal. And the December weather together with my long, long breaks only add up to more moments left for added contemplation, reflection and maybe come academic condemnation.

I wonder what’s in the December air that everyone seems to...

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• I have never really liked cramming. However, college just makes it quite impossible to not cram at least one thing every semester. It also doesn’t help that most of my peers are crammers, which makes the experience of collective cramming is quite comforting at the end of the day.
• When it comes to writing my papers, my “magic hour” usually just sets in just before dawn. I try to finish around 1-2 paragraphs early on (even days in advance) and end up taking a long break to review my notes and outlines. Then, I sleep/nap until I wake up at around...

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Because exhaustion has taken hold of me at this moment, I shall update in list form. These are random and not-so-random thoughts of the past few days.

1. I’m in for a whole lot of workload and stress this sem. If last sem was killer enough, I think I have it three-fold this sem. Help me, Lord.
2. For one thing, I have Dacanay for Theo131. If you’re from Ateneo, I guess that speaks for itself. To add to that, my PolSci majors are more demanding than ever. Talk about weekly quizzes, an average of at least 200 pages worth of readings per...

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Getting my highest QPI ever and maintaining my Dean’s List status is the cream cheese icing on my already tasty carrot cake. (This is me craving for Sonja’s Bunny Huggers Cupcake.) There were no expectations even. I was just glad that it was over and I have finally let go of all that was hindering me from moving happily forward. I guess this is an even greater personal victory for me that I could ever hoped for at the moment. Especially after the most emotionally trying semester. I’m really happy and proud of myself.

Some of my close friends...

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The time spent to soothe emotional wounds really did do its wonders. Attaining closure in various aspects of my life and myself is priceless. It has allowed me to set free all negativity and make room for so much positivity and optimism. The once tainted realities are given clarity. There is acceptance of truth, and somehow it has stopped burning. It doesn’t hurt anymore. I can finally proclaim myself victorious from this emotional battle. There really is something empowering about that.

Thus, the break has been good so far. Amidst postponed plans, I’m not complaining. It’s refreshing to just think...

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Just because there’s free internet here at Starbucks, Corinthian, I’m going to try updating this thing. Starbucks is not exactly my ideal place to study, but that’s probably because I never really found a ‘good’ branch that’s conducive for studying. It’s all a matter of preference, and this one is surprisingly not bad. It’s not far for Ateneo, but not exactly close enough for me to bump and deal with people I actually know. And the place is pretty big, and plays just the right kind of music – easy-listening, motown/jazz and soul. I’m stuck here because I’m still not...

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I’ve been in an emotional rut for the past few days, and it doesn’t help that there are just so many school-related things I need to worry about. Every now and then, I’ve been trying to get a hold of myself, trying to dismiss anything that will let me fall into a relapse. I guess the stress helps me focus on the things that should matter for the time being. I have to make the most out of everything.

Saturdays are meant to be days of indulgence for myself. My tito happens to be one of the regional directors under...

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Fret not. This is SPOILER FREE.

Oh yes. This post is going to manifest Harry Potter fandom to the nth level. I just can’t possibly let this magical day go to waste without blogging about this much-anticipated release. I have long been excited about the book – a million times more than the release of the 5th movie. (FYI: I enjoyed the movie incredibly, and thought it was still brilliant.) Besides, after having finished reading the final installment, I just have to have some sort of ‘vent-out.’ Especially since I don’t know anyone who has finished the book at...

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